Cover-all cap



A. MELDRUM COVER-ALL CAP Sept. 23, 1930.

Original Filed March 2, 1927 ay/MW, a 27m Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" ALEXANDER MELDRUM, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH-LEE CO1!!- PANY, INC., ONEIDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK COVER-ALL CAI Application filed March 2, 1927, Serial No. 172,007. Renewed January 26, 1929.

a novel and improved form of cover-all cap for bottles.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel means for and method of securinga cover-all cap in position on a bottle.

More particularly the invention comprises arranging a pre-formed cap over the neck of a bottle and providing spaced plaits, the two thicknesses of which are secured together by means of a fastening wire or the like.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a cover-all cap having spaced plaits formed toward each other in pairs and stapled together.

A further object of' the invention consists in the provision of a cover all cap having spaced plaits formed toward each other in pairs and stapled together and to the body of the cap between the plaits.

A further and important object of the invention consists in stapling folds of a coverall bottle cap by passing the legs of the staple thru the folds and causing a clinching of the staple against the surface of the bottle.

still further object of the invention consists in the use of the surface of a bottle as an anvil or former for clinching staples.

Other and further objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the accompanyi'ng drawing and following specification wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cover-all cap constructed according to the present invention and applied to a bottle; I

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the arrangement of the staples before and after fastening; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a formed cap.

Cover-all caps, particularly for use on milk bottles, are well known in the art and their use and purpose need not be explained in this specification except to briefly state that the caps'close the mouth vof the bottle, usually over the disk-like cap which forms the liquid tight seal, and engage around and beneath the bead on the neck of the bottle in such. a manner that they cannot be removed without partially destroying the same and giving evideuce-of such removal. The present invention' deals particularly with a novel means of and method for securing such caps in position.

Referring to the drawing, there is disclosed at 10 a conventional form of milk bottle altho it is to be understood that the caps may be applied to any suitable form of bottle having a rounded or angular head 11 near the upper edge of the neck with a constricted neck 12 beneath the bead. The cap 13 is formed from a suitable disk or blank of fibrous material such as paper, pasteboard or the like, usually impregnated with paraffin or other suitable waterproofing compound.

The caps are preformed in any convenient type of die to the-initial configuration shown in Figure 3 and'have the circular top portion 14 adapted to fit over the opening in the bottle and the spaced plaits 15 arranged in the remaining portion of the blank; The portions 16-between the plaits form a substantially cylindrical skirt of a diameter having a neat fit over thebead 11. These portions 16 merge into the plaits at the folds 17 and the plaited portions are substantially triangular with the apexes 18 of the triangles at or near the periphery of the circular portion 14. The dies for forming the cap make sharp folds at 17 and at the edges 19 of the plaits of Figure 2.

folded toward each other in pairs as shown in Figure 1. In the form illustrated there are, four pairs but any suitable number may be provided. It is not necessary that the tips 20 of the plaits overlap as shown in Figure 1, it only being required that they come close enough together so that each plait of the pair can receive one leg 21 of a staple such as 22.

The staples are formed from suitable wire of light gage, preferably tinned, and have the initial shape shown in the left hand staple In this form they are driven so that the legs penetrate both thicknesses of the plaits and the material 16 between the plaits. The ends of the staple legs impinge against the glass of the bottle neck-and owing .tOritS curvature are deflected outwardly as shown'at 23 in Figure 2. A continued application of pressure to the cross member of the staple causes it to press against the outer surface of the flaps and to force them against the material 16 beneath them. The staple is clinched as shown in Figure 2 and securely retains the flaps in the position shown.

During the folding of the flaps or plaits the skirt portion of the cap is contracted to closely fit the constricted portion of the neck below the bead and the staples retain the skirt in this contracted condition so that its diameter is less than the diameter of the bead and the cap cannot be removed without tearing the paper or pulling the staples loose.

It is obvious that other fastening means than the staples illustrated may be used. For

- instance, small headed tacks may be individually applied thru each plait to retain it in position against the material between the plaits. When the plaits overlap a single tack will serve to retain two in position and where they do not overlap a single tack may be used for each plait. Under this condition the plaits may all be folded in one direction rather than toward each other in pairs. The caps as disclosed can be simply constructed and cheaply formed and applied. The design of the cap is particularly adapted for automatic application for a single machine will form a cap and the staples and apply the cap and insert the staples.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

' 1..T he combination with a bottle having an annular bead and a neck below the bead of a cover-all cap formed from a blank with a central portion to cover the mouth of the bottle and a skirt to surround the bottle neck, the excess material not required for the skirt being formed into a plurality of spaced plaits adapted to be folded in upon the skirt, and a plurality of metal fastenings extending through the plaits and securing all of the plaits to the skirt below thebead of the bot-, tle, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a bottle having an annular bead and a neck below the bead of a cover-all cap formed from a blank with a central portion to cover the mouth of the bottle and a skirt to surround the bottle neck, the excess material not required for the skirt being formed into a plurality of spaced plaits adapted to be folded in upon the skirt, adjacent plaits being folded toward each other in pairs and a metal fastening extending through each pair of plaits and .connecting them to the skirt below the bead of the bottle, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a bottle having an annular bead and a neck below the bead of .a cover-all cap formed from a blank with a central portion to cover the mouth of the bottle and a skirt to surround the bottle neck, the excess material not required for the skirt being formed into a plurality of spaced plaits adapted to be folded in u on the skirt, two adjacent plaits being fo ded toward each other and a staple passing through said two plaits and securing them to the skirt, for the purpose set forth.

4. A bottle cap including a bottle-mouth closing portion and askirt surrounding the neck of a bottle, said skirt being formed with a plurality of pairs of plaits, those of each pair being folded circumferentially toward each other and a fastening strip for each pair of plaits, portions of said strip passing through a plait and the body of the skirt and extending along the surface of the bottle neck.

5. A bottle cap including a. bottle-mouth closing portion and a skirt surrounding the neck of a bottle, said skirt being formed with a plurality of pairs of plaits, those of each pair being folded toward each other and against the intervening portion of the skirt, and individual fastening means securing each pair of plaits to the underlying portion of the skirt.

6. A bottle cap including a bottle-mouth closing portion and a skirt surroundingthe neck of a bottle, the lower end of the skirt being formed into a plurality of box plaits to tighten it about the neck and fastening means securing each box plait individually to the underlying portion of the skirt.

7. A bottle cap including a bottle-mouth closing portion and a skirt surrounding the neck of a bottle, the lower end of the skirt being formed into a plurality of box plaits -to tighten it about the neck, a separate staple for each box plait, each leg of the staple pass ing through one part of the plait and the underlying portion of the skirt, the ends of the legs being extended angularly between the skirt and bottle neck.

8. A bottle cap including a bottle-mouth closing portion and a skirt having its lower end formed into a plurality of plaits, the sides of the plaits engaging each other when the skirt is contracted about the bottle neck,

said. plaits being folded together into pairs and a wire encompassin a portion of each pleit of a pair and secure under the underly skirt portion.

11 testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER MELDRUM. 

